I wanted to post what I said in Mythrilfox's blog because it is really how I feel, and not a sentiment I see very many other places. It is far more likely to see various forms of "wtf am I going to do now, I am not qualified to do anything else, poker was my life." I understand that it is easier for me to cope, most likely, as poker was a part time gig for me and a fairly small portion of my income each month. Even as I aspired to be more successful as a poker player, I never wanted to confuse it with who I was as a person (which I think is a good caution to have no matter what profession you are in). I enjoy playing poker and am a little sad that only a few months after winning with any sort of regularity it all seems to have gone away. All the same, I can't seriously believe that it is gone forever, and I will continue to study up and stay sharp so that when it does come back in some kind of government regulated form I can hopefully pick up right where I left off again skill wise. I will probably make an attempt to play live once a month or something like that. In the mean time, I will just grind out the wine knowledge that much more, and I am moving up my expectation of taking the advanced level Sommelier test from one and a half years to nine months or one year.

In the mean time, I can still play on AP even though I am in the USA (because they are shady, I guess), but I am sure I won't be able to cash out. I seem to be playing really well, too.

Below is what I wrote in Drew's blog:

I certainly don't want to disrespect your feelings, and I understand how a major part of your life just got put to an unexpected end. But really, I just don't understand this whole "what can I do now?" attitude. If you have been beating poker on a regular basis, then you have succeeded in discipline, self-control, unbiased self-analysis, and self management in general on a level that very few people have been able to achieve. Honestly, what can you not do? I think it is here that most poker players have talked themselves into their roles as outliers in society, even to the point where they don't see their own value outside of their niche, and I just don't share that opinion. You have already, to a large extent, created your own level of success in the poker world. It is unrealistic to think that the skills you have used to do that do not apply to the "regular" world. And what is the regular world? It is a collection of someone else's sub cultures and niches.

I realize online poker is a fairly isolating experience. But I think if you were going to continue down this path of seeing yourself with value as a poker player and as little else, then maybe this is one of the best things that could have happened for you. I am sure I will get all sorts of crap for that last sentence and probably a lot of people aren't ready to hear it right now. But I am only saying it because you seem to be in such a bad way over this. Think of it as an opportunity for transformation. It isn't only in poker where you take bad beats, and if you have bounced back after losing aipf with Aces, then that same mental toughness you have developed will serve you well.

(At any rate, honestly, I don't see poker going away for good. There is just too much money involved, and let's face it, that is how our country works. People are already adjusting.)

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

Here is the blog, cross posted, from a guild of sommelier site I belong to. When I can figure out how to post the pics, I will add them in...

It seems increasingly evident to me how important it is to develop a process for tasting and evaluating a wine that is second nature. Today I listened to the latest guild podcast and got a little peek into what it will take to be a successful taster. It was very impressive to say the least, and I got a little carried away while listening, shouting, "Chablis! Chablis!!" at the computer near the end of the first assessment. Having a mechanism to assess a wine in an unbiased way is probably one of the most important skills for a Sommelier, not just for passing the test, but for making decisions for your wine program and your guests. This is probably no big news to a lot of people, but the gravity of it is sinking in for me. Although I haven't been seriously tasting for a long time, I can already see how my mood, surroundings, and company affect my ability to concentrate and make conclusions about a wine. Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to go up to Au Sommet winery and taste through a truly wonderful line up of 2008 vintages, many of them made by Heidi Barrett.

I had been looking forward to this tasting for several weeks, and I viewed it as somewhat of a celebration for passing my Certified test as my wife and some friends would be there with me. I should probably count it as progress that I was taking notes when no one else was. While I really just wanted to enjoy what I thought would be some great wines, I have had several opportunities to taste some exciting wines in the past where I did not take any notes at all, and I just couldn't let that happen again. Especially since I am certified now, and especially since I wanted to post a blog about it. After reviewing my notes the next day, it was pretty clear that I need to work on a consistent tasting format (the grid) and a note taking system that will make sense to me the next day. All the same, I will post what I have.

The day oozed with luxury. We had a babysitter, so my lovely wife and I had a leisurely brunch before being picked up by a limo that one of the members of our group had arranged. I brought a vintage 2002 Veuve Clicquot to share. I had read that 02 was a real Pinot Noir vintage, and was curious to see if a bold and beautiful wine was made that year (I think veuve has a reputation for mainly Pinot). I never tasted champagne with the attention that I do still wine, and it seems very difficult for me with the very high acidity and bubbles to get a clear sense of the wine. All the same, this champagne seemed particularly vivacious to me.

We drove almost all the way to the top of Atlas Peak to Au Sommet. There isn't actually a winery with equipment and barrels. That must be done somewhere else. The tasting was actually done in a tasting room on the property of the vineyards themselves. It is also the private residence of John Schwartz, who works very closely with Heidi Barrett on a number of her wine projects, and the place is a working ranch with goats, chickens, sheep and dogs everywhere.

The vineyards we saw were on the East side of the peak, and we looked out towards Lake Tahoe. The mood was calm and peaceful, and you are not far removed from the wilderness. Apparently, they lose about one chicken per day to the hawks, raccoons, coyotes, rattle snakes and mountain lions that prowl the area.



We went into the tasting room where there were a variety of cheeses awaiting us(including the goat cheese they make right on premises). Sinatra is playing, there is original artwork on the walls along with prints of the artwork from the labels, and John Schwartz is a very gracious and friendly host. We make our way through the wines.



The first wine was a 100% Marsanne from Hermitage called Le Cheval Fou, which is a joint venture with Chapoutier. My notes indicate a rich perfume of banana taffy, minerality, lilac and lily. Almonds with a touch of sweetness on the nose. The wine was fairly full bodied with a good acidity that drove the long finish. There is also a Syrah, but I haven't tasted it.
Next was the 2010 Pret a Boire rose. Schwartz said they made this wine in part to answer all of the people that say repeatedly, "Why do we have to wait so long to drink your wines?" The wine was lush and summery, with honey and rose on the nose, watermelon and ripe red cherry on the palate.


2008 Amuse Bouche is their flagship wine out of the East Rutherford Hills. Schwartz and Heidi Barrett wanted to make a non-cab, and looked to Pomerol for inspiration. The 08 Amuse Bouche is 92% Merlot and 8% Cab Franc, and they produce around 600 cases per year. I found very lush red berry fruit on the nose, lots of strawberry jam mixed in with clove and cardomom. 16 months in Taransaud french oak lend it a nice structure and the balance between acidity and fruit is great. Schwartz tells us we will revisit it after tasting all of the other wines.
2008 Coup de Foudre from their Stag's Leap winery. 92% Cab. Much riper red fruit than the Sinatra, particularly strawberry and raspberry. The wine is light, agile even, on the palette with medium plus tannins. Dark cherry and mint.

2008 Vin Perdu (with a flip lenticular label...) I am quickly learning that this is a company that likes to have fun with their labels and names. In France, "pain perdu" is the dish made from the left over bits and pieces of bread from the day before. We call it french toast. Vin Perdu is made from the leftover bits and pieces of wines left over from the blending process for their other labels. 08 vintage is 65% Petit Verdot. I note that it has a much softer nose and a tannic structure, with a earthy notes. This is the wine that didn't jump out of the glass at me like many of the others.
2008 Sinatra Estate cabernet. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cab Franc. Schwartz said they were initially hesitant to make a "celebrity" wine because it usually means high volume and much lower quality. After meeting with the Sinatra family, though, they agreed to a much smaller, premium production. 500 cases produced from their small vineyard in Calistoga. The tasting really started to come alive for me at this point. Black pepper, cassis, blackberry and baking spices on the nose. Lush berry, dark cherry with clove and vanilla, hint of chocolate. Medium plus acidity with good tannic structure and a long lasting spicy finish.

2008 Au Sommet. This is the wine I was the most excited to taste. Forgive me if I wax poetic. The fruit is sourced from their Atlas Peak vineyard at 2100 feet elevation (which probably makes it among the highest in Napa I am guessing.), and it is Barrett's attempt to make her next cab dominated wine a la Screaming Eagle. If anything, they have problems achieving full ripening at such a high altitude, and the yield is about 1/2 ton per acre with 290 cases produced (50 unreleased cases produced in 2007) with eight acres under vine. They can pick as late as Thanksgiving, and although we noticed quite a bit of bud break on the valley floor, it had not occurred in these vineyards yet. According to Schwartz, attention is...

Dear Leggo,

I haven't been 100% honest with you. We have been together for over two years now, and I have posted over 100 blogs on various subjects. I think I have grown a lot as a person as a result of my time with you, and that is the reason why I think I have to just come clean. It is really hard. I'll just say it. I have been blogging on another site. I know. I know. You have every right to be upset. And I don't want to try and talk you out of being upset. It is upsetting to me too. But it is what it is. I have been posting on my sommelier guild web site.

You may have even seen it coming. Let's face it. I have been distant and not nearly as involved as I used to be. I think I can do a better job of sharing myself equally in the future. But I want to be clear. This other site is important to my future. All the things I have written here, all the parts of my life I have described, they are true. 100% true. Please don't think that I didn't mean any of those things I said. It started about two months ago. The first few posts were just dalliances, really, just kind of messing around. But the post I made last night was a lot of work, and I knew I had to come clean here. And I want to be totally honest with what I am doing, so I am going to cross post on this site. In fact, everything I post there, I will post here. But, and I want you to believe me here, I won't post anything on that site that I post here. I am not trying to talk you out of being hurt or anything, and you have every right to be upset. But I do want to make clear where things stand between the two blogs. You may notice that I sound different on that site, and you are right. The site is different and i have to strike a different tone. It doesn't mean I have been pretending with you all this time. I haven't. If anything I am more myself with you than with that other site. My thoughts on food, my chronicling of Valentine's day in a busy restaurant, my thoughts on what range to 3bet oop over 160bbs deep--that all came straight from my heart.

So what I am going to do is cross post that last blog with the other site right now. It will be the very next thing I do. I won't change a thing. My only regret is that I can't post the photos I took because the files are too big or something. I am sure there is some way around that but, well, let's face it, I have always been a technology donk. Total honesty, right? And I am not doing this to hurt you, I just think that this other blog, well, it is a part of my life now, and if I can share it with you, and you can accept it, then maybe we can go forward with a richer understanding of each other. Maybe we can be stronger. I am not calling it off between us. No way. Far from it. And before I do this, I want to be sure to let you know how great these past years have been. Really really great. Thank you. And please be honest with me about what you think.

Passed my Certified Sommelier test through the Court of Master Sommeliers. I had a really good experience over the three days of lectures/tastings/testing. They don't give you your score, but I am pretty sure I crushed. Blind tasting was a California chard and a Cab based Bordeaux. I may have missed three questions out of forty on the theory exam, but I think I only missed one. During the service portion of the test, I incorrectly said Punt e Mes vermouth was from Spain. I stumbled a bit on pairing a new world wine with Mushroom Risotto, but recovered nicely. I will write more about what the test was like when I have more time. I also feel the need to post a pic of my lapel pin.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

My wife says you have to read the Twilight series and also Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

Hope that helps.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

Here is the kind of stuff I have to know in 10 days

Multiple Choice
1). The Apple Gate AVA is located in what state?
a. Washington b. California c. Missouri d. Oregon

2). Vintage Champagne is required, by law, to aged a minimum of how many months?
a. 18 months b. 36 months c. 9 months d. 25 months

3). What is the base spirit regarding a Rob Roy cocktail?
a. Bourbon b. Single Malt Scotch c. Blended Scotch d. Tennessee Whiskey

4). Côt/Pressac/Auxerrois are synonyms for what grape varietal?
a. Cabernet Sauvignon b. Merlot c. Cabernet Franc d. Malbec

5). What is the DOCG wine regarding the island of Sicily?
a. Cerasuolo di Vittoria b. Conero c. Vermentino di Gallura d. Morellino di Scansano

6). The GI of Rutherglen is located in what Australian state?
a. Victoria b. Island of Tasmania c. Queensland d. Western Australia

7). Which of the following grape varietals is not allowed regarding Grand Cru wines from Alsace?
a. Riesling b. Muscat c. Pinot Blanc d. Sylvaner

8). Jumani as applied to sake means what?
a. the addition of brewer’s alcohol b. use of wood aging c. pure rice sake produced from rice, water, and koji mold d. rice body is polished to a reduction level of 50%

9). What is mutage?
a. French term for “riddling” as applied to Champagne production b. French term for “lees stirring” as applied to the barrel aging of wine c. French term for “addition of neutral grape spirit to stop the fermentation process” as applied to fortification d. French term for “crushing” as applied to the vinification process

10). How many quarter-turns are needed to remove the wire cage from the cork of a Champagne bottle?
a. 10 b. 7 c. 6 d. 8

11). What DO surrounds the DOCa Priorat?
a. Montsant b. Rioja c. Yecla d. Penedès

12). Who produces the wines of Marcassin?
a. Elizabeth Spencer b. Carol Shelton c. Helen Turley d. Kathy Joseph

13). What is the geographic designation of Stellenbosch?
a. ward b. region c. district d. geographic unit

14). The vineyards of Sonnenuhr, Würzgarten, Juffer, and Himmelreich are located in what anbaugebiet?
a. Mosel b. Nahe c. Rheingau d. Pfalz

15). Gimblett Gravels is a sub-zone of what geographic designation in New Zealand?
a. Cantebury b. Marlborough c. Hawkes Bay d. Nelson

16). Which of the following is not a Vermouth?
a. Dolin b. Punt e Mes c. Noilly Prat d. Vya

17). What is veraison?
a. sunshine derived sugar levels b. budbreak c. change of color in grapes d. balance of grape sugar vs grape acid

18). What wine region of Austria has a separate classification for dry white wines?
a. Wachau b. Weinvertal c. Kamptal d. Burgenland

19). The grape varietals of Assyrtiko, Moschofilero, and Xinomavro are indigenous to what country?
a. Hungary b. Austria c. Italy d. Greece

20). What geological feature separates the country of Chile from Argentina?
a. Andes Mountains b. Antarctica c. Pacific Ocean d. Atacama Desert

21). What is Fine Champagne?
a. tête de cuvée bottling from an established Champagne house b. good quality multi-vintage Champagne c. a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne Cognacs d. an excellent apritif

22). What is the most southern AOC of the Northern Rhône?
a. Saint-Péray b. Banyuls c. Côtes du Luberon d. Santenay

23). In what county is the Fiddletown AVA found?
a. Mendocino County b. Amador County c. Monterey County d. Santa Barbara County

24). Ales are the product of what type of fermentation?
a. top b. bottom c. wild yeast d. parallel

25). What is the base spirit of a Vesper cocktail?
a. Gin b. Vodka c. Tequilq d. Rum

26). In what region is the Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG located?
a. Basilicata d. Piedmont c. Apuglia d. Sardegna

27). What country uses the designation of DO de Pago for single estates?
a. Chile b. Portugal c. Argentina d. Spain

28). Steen is a synonym for what grape varietal?
a. Muscat Blanc à Petit Grain b. Chenin Blanc c. Trebbiano d. Gewüztraminer

29). What is the defined soil profile of Priorat?
a. llicorella b. clay c. limestome d. chalk

30). Why decant?
a. presentation b. separate liquid from sediment c. allows wine to warm to room temperature d. all of the above

Short Answer

1). In what region is the Cassis AOC located? _______________________
2). Define the labeling term dolce. _______________________
3). In what county is the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA located? _______________________
4). Define the labeling term uva. _______________________
5). What is the minimum aging requirement for Cava? _______________________
6). Klein Karoo is classified as what geographic designation in South Africa? _______________________
7). If a label in the US states an AVA, what percentage of the grapes used must be from that designation? _______
8). How many 750 ml. bottles are contained in a Double Magnum? _______________________
9). Define remuage. _______________________
10). Grauburguder is a synonym for what grape varietal? _______________________
11). What AOC allows for varietal labeling in France? _______________________
12). What are the five (5) clear spirits used in a Long Island Ice Tea? ______________________________________________
13). Define ripeness as applied to grapes. _______________________
14). What is the principal grape varietal of Valtellina Superiore? _______________________
15). Where is the geographic designation of Styria located? _______________________
16). What is the 3rd Growth Château of Pauillac? _______________________
17). Is a wheat beer a lager or ale? _______
18). Are the wines of the Bonnezeaux AOC produced in a dry or sweet style? _______
19). In what country is the DOC Vinho Verde located? _______________________
20). What are the two (2) synonyms for Tempranillo in the Ribera del Duero DO? _______________________
21). What is an eau-de-vie? ___________________________________
22). What style of Tawny Port is vintage dated? _______________________
23). What country is the largest producer of Icewine? _______________________
24). What Champagne House produces Sir Winston Churchill? _______________________
25). Where is Leyda Valley located? _______________________
True of False

“Fill-in-the-blank”
1). Single malt Scotch is produced using a ___________ still.
2). Château Léoville-Barton is a _____ Growth in the commune of _______________.
3). Franciacorta DOCG wines are produced using the _______________________.
4). The Redwood Valley AVA is located in ___________ County.
5). Sparkling wines produced using the “traditional method” are referred to as _______________________ in South Africa.
6). Sake that is produced from rice that has been polished...

I have been grinding the wine books for a while now. My test is in 2.5 weeks. A couple of days ago I freaked a bit on how much I had to learn before the test, but I got that under control. I don't know why I find the subject matter so interesting. I have to say, it really makes me feel good to steer someone who is intimidated by wine towards a wine that they are very happy with when I am working.

The more I learn about wine and the more I can envision myself working as a Sommelier, the more I become dissatisfied with my current job. Things that never bothered me before start to grate on my nerves. I have to be careful because that attitude has got me into trouble before (see my first blog post on this site). I seem to do that when I start imagining myself in a different situation. I am trying to remind myself of what a great job I have in this economy that allows me to provide for my family, even as I take steps to move onto greener pastures through wine and poker.

I have not played much poker recently, and have not played to the best of my ability, either. I am obviously preoccupied with a lot of other things. I will probably divide my time 90/10 between poker and studying with poker getting the short end of the stick until after my test.

I tasted an '83 Chateau La Lagune and a '96 Chateau Lynch Bages last week. Both outstanding.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

Lately I have been putting in some marathon sessions. I seem to start by losing 4-5 BI and then just hanging around and being patient with huge donks at the tables. I usually finish up break even or down just a bit. I just can't bear to quit the game until I absolutely have to go to bed or work or whatever. I always have the intention of playing a series of short sessions. Maybe I will stick to that.

I am pretty much break even on the month, especially after two decent sized losing sessions, but I am playing much better and feel very confident after my big downswing all the same. I haven't been playing nearly as much as the last four months, but will just have to put the time in to ride out the variance. I also had just started working with MrNutFlush and Klamsauce before all the holiday madness, and will need to pick that up again as I think we were all getting something out of it.

The restaurant has been super duper busy. It has been as if the holidays just never ended. One of our competitors in town closed, and we have been taking in a lot of what used to be their business. I think I heard they did around 2.5 million in sales a year. Hopefully we can capture around 20% or more of that business. I did the math to what that would come out to on my end, and it would be a pretty significant raise. I am a bit tired of working so much, though, and would like to drop one shift per week, if only to keep my sanity. I absolutely live for Sundays which is my only day off with my family. We have been going to a few museums, recently. I am not even tempted to watch football.

Studying for my sommelier test has been a low priority as of late, but that will have to change as I have only a little more than 2 months til the test. The last two weeks have not been without their ah-ha moments. I went up to Napa last week and had a great tasting at Grgich Hills and Flora Springs. I tasted some wine out of a 100% American Oak barrel, and then the same wine that was aging for the same amount of time in a 100% French Oak barrel. The difference was super clear, and something I had always read people could detect without quite believing it. I think I can pick it out now. I also seem to be picking up many more aromas in the wines I am tasting. Hands on experiences and focused tastings are really making a difference in my comprehension of what I am reading in books.

I think I will just have to resort to studying during the time I have during the day, and grinding 6 tables at night. It is possible, given my recent losing and winning patterns during the sessions, that I am getting myself into trouble unnecessarily. I would love to start exercising again, but it is just too cold to get out. I know it is California and all, and I am probably being a wimp, but I have been pretty freaking cold as of late.

Our tenant is going to break her lease, and it could possibly screw us out of the very slim chance we had of purchasing a new house. I put in a lot of hours at the restaurant the last 9 months with the specific aim of upping my income and qualifying for something in the neighborhood we now rent in. I won't know how successful I have been until I file later this month and see what we can get approved for. Maybe we can't afford where we would like to live anyway. All the same, she has been nothing but trouble, and I am glad to not have to deal with her any longer, tbh. We will not be giving her deposit back, but I have the feeling she won't pay her last month's rent anyway. I found out she is moving to a really rough neighborhood with her two adolescent sons, and I feel a little bad for her at the same time I feel a lot of anger towards her. The good news is we have already gotten a lot of interest from new prospective tenants, so we should be able to get someone else in there.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

Almost forgot to mention the Pixar tour. Most of the interesting stuff was in the No Photography zone, and I will spare you pictures of me by giant Pixar movie characters. Our host was very gracious, and he hooked us up with a lot of Pixar memorabilia and movies. We brought him Christmas cookies and a bottle of Maker's Mark.

It was interesting to see how a highly functioning, successful business is run. Looked like an amazing amount of creativity and an amazing amount of work. 4 years of work for one movie, and we got to see stuff from the very earliest character development and story boards to the finished product. Fascinating to say the least.

PFJ

Ohhhh, where to start. First of all, I guess I should give a little thanks for the holiday season. The restaurant is busy, I am making money, Christmas was merry, kids are happy. I want to remind myself how thankful I should be because poker has absolutely sucked. I debate with myself if I am playing my A game or not. I think sustaining such heavy losses means I am not, how could I be? Running bad EV wise is okay for a while, but I went through a phase where I just didn't want to play. So I didn't. And when I did, it was more of the same but just coolers and losing flips. All the same, I know I am not madly tilting off money, so I feel pretty good about everything on the whole. And I long for the time when I can just six table 50nl, which is coming up in January. I am firmly in 50nl territory with my roll though, so I will have to grind that up for a return visit to 100nl. Sigh.

I am pretty confident, though, based on all of the bad play I have seen. It comforts me to know I just need to get my own sh*t in order mentally and I will be back in action.

In other news, I have had some interesting experiences. Last night I saw the movie "Inception," and really liked it. I can see how all poker players would be really into the movie. I would probably have to watch it again and again to really decide what was going on, but I am going to just walk away with the good impression that I have of the movie, which makes me a cinematic short stacker, I guess.

For Christmas, I got a copy of "Metropolis Symphony." I heard an interview with the composer on the radio. I am not into a lot of classical music, but I really like this. Reading the liner notes helps, and it is definitely not for listening to while playing poker as it is pretty, umm, energetic. I think it is up for some grammy awards, too.

I have talked to a few Sommeliers, and it is something I think I will pursue wholeheartedly. Since I started talking about it, everyone is coming up to me and wanting advice and recommendations about wine. I got a lot of wine resource books for Christmas, which is great. Also, more than a few people have just given me wines they think I should be familiar with for my upcoming test in March. I will start making some trips to Napa this month since I have a friend from Paris in town, but I really need to become familiar with a lot of imported wines. I like being known as a wine resource, and after I get a few months of study under my belt, I will maybe offer my services to the general leggo community. I have absolutely no idea what that would entail, but I need practice answering questions about wine. The deductive tasting technique is very much like putting people on hands, so maybe I can post a video of that after some practice.

One of my regs at the bar works for Pixar. I asked him to donate a tour of the studio to my daughter's school fund raising auction. I have heard it is something other employees for Pixar have done. He said he could definitely do that, and why don't I just go ahead and bring the family down one day and he could show us around. We are going tomorrow, and I think it will be super interesting. I already saw an exhibit at the Museum of California in Oakland about Pixar (would definitely recommend it to any Bay Area members), and I can't believe I get to go to the studio now.

I am starting to ease myself off coffee since I am for the most part through the holiday season at work. I felt a little bad about taking it up again, but my wife said to me this morning, "you did what you had to do," and she is right because I don't think I would have made it without my little caffeine helper.

I have been listening to the "Bondcast," and I am a big fan. I am pretty much a people person, and I like listening to other people's experiences with poker and life. Keep up the good work, Jaymesbond.

So, on the whole, running good, just not in poker. I will be much more active in the forums and stuff in January. Happy New Year, everyone.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

Here are some hands as promised in my last blog. I am on a huge downswing as well. I have been on bigger downswings in terms of buy ins, but this is my first sizable downswing at 100nl, which adds up to a lot more money thant 25nl or 50nl. I knew it would happen after being all self-congratulatory in my last blog and even posting a graph to tempt fate. I am running around 9 BI under EV in my last 3k hands at 100nl, which really sucks, and makes my decision to cash out a few hundred dollars at the beginning of the month pretty questionable. My last session was particularly brutal, although I am telling myself it is more coolers than anything else. All the same, I don't think I can fool myself into thinking that a big downswing after a big upswing is totally variance related, and I with that in mind, I am posting a couple of questionable hands along with some hands where I think I could easily have saved myself some money.

Fwiw, the story seems to have gone like this: Win a lot of money playing solid TAG and running decently; play looser resulting in more higher variance spots; lose some money due to variance; lose some money due to tilt.

Hand 1

UTG raiser is 44/28 and opening 44% from MP. He seems like a huge laggy donk running extremely hot. I have seen him get it in very lightly on the flop and turn. SB is a 19/14 TAG capable of being very aggressive.

SB ($139)
BB ($100)
UTG ($94.50)
UTG+1 ($390)
CO ($100)
Hero ($131)

Dealt to Hero 2 A

fold, UTG+1 raises to $3, fold, Hero calls $3, SB calls $2.50, fold

FLOP ($10) 3 6 T

SB checks, UTG+1 bets $10, Hero raises to $31, SB raises to $113, UTG+1 folds, Hero raises to $128 (AI), SB calls $15.95

I am happy to get it in here on the flop vs. the UTG raiser since I think he stacks off with top pair, any overpair, or a worse flush draw, and sets of course. I am 42% against that range, and I would like to push the SB out with a raise. When SB raises, he seems pretty FOS to me, and I know from previous play that he is capable of bluffing here. I think he just flats with a set, so he has either a worse draw or a top pair strong kicker hand looking to get it in with villain. I think I am doing really well here, and there is so much money in the pot at this point that I can't possibly fold.

TURN ($277) 3 6 T 3

RIVER ($277) 3 6 T 3 6

Hero shows 2 A
(Pre 31%, Flop 37.2%, Turn 18.2%)

SB shows A T
(Pre 69%, Flop 62.8%, Turn 81.8%)

SB wins $274

Hand 2

This hand is at the end of my big losing session, and it just illustrates how I get sloppy in my thinking when I am tilting. Villain is 20/13 AF 4.

SB ($100)
BB ($134)
UTG ($206)
UTG+1 ($62.05)
CO ($139)
Hero ($108)

Dealt to Hero 9 9

UTG raises to $3, fold, CO calls $3, Hero calls $3, fold, fold

FLOP ($10.50) 7 7 3

UTG bets $6, CO calls $6, Hero calls $6

TURN ($28.50) 7 7 3 7

UTG checks, CO checks, Hero bets $16.50, UTG folds, CO raises to $130 (AI), Hero calls $82.95 (AI)

I think I have the best hand here most of the time until CO shoves. Such a huge overbet means, imo, that he is at the very top of his calling range preflop (TT+) or has a 7. I don't think he plays a smaller pp like this very often as he seems to be a thinking player and would realize he only gets called by better. For my part, I was just enamored with my FH and called. I think I should be betting bigger on the turn, at any rate to set up an easier river shove that can be called by a smaller pp.

RIVER ($227) 7 7 3 7 8

Hero shows 9 9
(Pre 19%, Flop 8.4%, Turn 4.5%)

CO shows J J
(Pre 81%, Flop 91.6%, Turn 95.5%)

CO wins $223


Hand 3

Kind of a cooler, but it illustrates a problem I am having along with the next hand. This player fired 100% of flops and turns, and fired big, just pot pot potting away. 34/13 AF 2 over 66 hands. He started off playing much looser, and perhaps that colored my perception of him in a way. I am super comfortable with preflop and flop. On the turn when he bets half pot, perhaps I should be worried, but I pretty much made up my mind on the flop that I had to just call him down. I stopped calling IP with SC and more prospective hands because of his betting patterns, because he would make it very expensive for me if I flopped some kind of draw. I always feel like I am guessing on the river.

SB ($100)
BB ($96.10)
UTG ($101)
UTG+1 ($262)
Hero ($105)
BTN ($97)

Dealt to Hero A J

fold, UTG+1 raises to $3.50, Hero calls $3.50, BTN calls $3.50, fold, fold

FLOP ($12) A T 3

UTG+1 bets $14, Hero calls $14, BTN folds

TURN ($40) A T 3 T

UTG+1 bets $20, Hero calls $20

RIVER ($80) A T 3 T 3

UTG+1 bets $80, Hero calls $67.50 (AI)

UTG+1 shows A Q
(Pre 74%, Flop 81.7%, Turn 85.2%)

Hero shows A J
(Pre 26%, Flop 18.3%, Turn 14.8%)

UTG+1 wins $211

Hand 4

Here is also a case where Villain fires 100% of flops and turns, this time over 125 hands. He is 24/12 and he opens 17% utg.


SB ($110)
BB ($26.75)
UTG ($197)
UTG+1 ($110)
CO ($399)
Hero ($100)

Dealt to Hero Q Q

UTG raises to $4, fold, fold, Hero calls $4, fold, fold

FLOP ($9.50) 2 J Q

UTG bets $9.50, Hero calls $9.50

My standard is to raise here with a FD on board, but I think villain has relatively few FD in his range, especially with the Qs out (ruling out AsQs and KsQs) that I most likely just fold out a lot of hands that I know would continue firing on the turn and possibly river. All the same I am unsure whether this is just FPS here due to tilt from losing so recently and I should just be raising. If another spade falls or maybe a T and he keeps firing, it would be very hard to navigate for me.

TURN ($28.50) 2 J Q 5

UTG bets $15, Hero calls $15

Again the half pot bet. This is a different player, but maybe this pot/half pot betting line is a read I have missed out on?

RIVER ($58.50) 2 J Q 5 A

UTG bets $169 (AI), Hero calls $71.50 (AI)

Hero shows Q Q
(Pre 18%, Flop 86.3%, Turn 95.5%)

UTG shows A A
(Pre 82%, Flop 13.7%, Turn 4.5%)
...